July 13, 2012

Recently, I came across an article, “Top 10 Mistakes Speakers Make.” According to the authors, the following are the most common ways you can ruin a speaking presentation:

1. Not giving enough value to the members of the audience.
2. Focusing too much on content, rather than on the people in front of you.
3. Being more concerned about you, the speaker, than about the audience.
4. Thinking the audience is scary, rather than a group of nice people.
5. Sounding canned.
6. Speaking too fast and trying to convey too much information.
7. Not pausing so a listener can absorb what you’re saying.
8. Not making an offer that looks like a compelling opportunity.
9. Speaking to people who aren’t in your target market.
10. Not being yourself.

What struck me when I read these rules is that they apply not only to public speaking — whether in court, at a professional meeting, or during a retail seminar — but also to client meetings.

When I first started my own law practice, I struggled with running an initial client meeting successfully. I eventually got to the point where I could go into a meeting with confidence that I was likely to be retained by the potential client, but I think it would have taken me a lot less time for me to get there if I had been aware of these rules.

So, I suggest that the next time you have a meeting with a potential new client — or with anyone, for that matter — try to keep these rules in mind. Remember to focus on the client and respond to his/her questions; remember to bring value to the conversation; and, above all, remember to be yourself!